Rocky Top Spotlight: Zach Joyce

Knoxville native, born and raised, junior pitcher Zach Joyce embodies what it means to be a "Vol For Life." Being around the orange and white checkerboards since he was a kid, it wasn't until the 2023 season that Joyce was finally able to represent the Vols on the diamond-- a goal that was always in his sights. However, it was an unconventional path that brought him to his current position as a high-velocity relief pitcher for Tennessee.

After graduating from Farragut High School in 2019, Joyce attended Walters State Community College after not receiving many college offers out of high school. Joyce was joined by his older, (by four minutes) twin brother Ben Joyce. There, the brothers spent two years honing their skills in red, white and blue.

As a freshman, Zach helped lead the Senators to the 2019 NJCAA D-I Junior College World Series, making 13 relief appearances, totaling 24 strikeouts while posting a 1.15 ERA. In 2020, during the COVID-shortened season, Joyce was unable to compete after undergoing Tommy John surgery in January before ultimately signing to play at the University of Tennessee for the 2021 season.

However, rehabilitation from the injury and the procedure proved to take more than just a physical toll. The complexity of his injury, and the struggle in coming back from it, came with an equally grueling amount of mental strain. Joyce ultimately decided to step away from the game in 2021-- never donning orange and white that season or the next, but continuing on as a student on Rocky Top.

That was until June 17, 2022, at the end of Tennessee baseball's postseason run and after watching his brother Ben thrive for the Vols, when Joyce announced that he would be returning to the mound, sharing his decision with Vol Nation.

On Oct. 10, 2022 --World Mental Health Day-- Joyce posted a message on social media with the caption, "I hope this will help someone that needs it. Always reach out if you need help, it can change your life."

Joyce shared his story and journey in dealing with clinical depression and anxiety, what led him to take time away from baseball and ultimately what emboldened him in his decision to return to the diamond.

"These days still happen, but progress always starts with a single step," Joyce wrote. "The biggest lesson I learned in that time is that I was not alone, and there are so many people going through the same thing… There is always a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how far away that light may seem."

After three challenging but important years, it was on Feb. 19, 2023 during the Vols' season-opening tournament in Arizona when Joyce made his long-awaited Tennessee debut. With UT leading 7-0, Joyce entered the game in the eighth inning against UC San Diego with the bases loaded and just one out. The hard-throwing right hander needed just seven pitches to strike out the next two batters to get the Vols out of the jam and preserve the shutout.

In his home debut, Joyce struck out the side against Alabama A&M. In his next outing against Charleston Southern, Joyce sat down two Buccaneer batters in his single-inning relief outing, and in the series opener against Gonzaga a few days later, Joyce did not allow a baserunner, pitching a shutout frame of relief against the Bulldogs.

In his seven appearances thus far in the season, Joyce has emerged as one of Tennessee's most reliable bullpen arms, boasting a 1.29 ERA with 11 strikeouts in just seven innings pitched.

With SEC play beginning on Friday afternoon, Zac(K)h Joyce is just getting warmed up.

The University of Tennessee campus has witnessed incredible athletic success throughout the years, with student-athletes walking the hallowed grounds while garnering titles like Olympian, National Champion or Player of the Year. An exclusive group etched their names within the history of their respective sport and went on to become hall of famers. Vols and Lady Vols through the ages consistently ascend to the pinnacle of competition, and the current student-athletes are no exception. Rocky Top Spotlight is an effort to shine a big orange light on the many elite competitors at Tennessee.

University of Tennessee Athletics

Players Mentioned

Ben Joyce

Zach Joyce

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